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Transcript/ScriptISRAEL UKRAINE REFUGEES
HEADLINE: Ukrainian Refugees in Israel Stuck in Legal Limbo
TEASER: While Europe, US have welcomed large numbers of Ukrainians fleeing war,
many are in Israel without official refugee status.
PUBLISHED: 3/21/23 at 7:40 p.m.
BYLINE: Linda Gradstein
DATELINE: Haifa, Israel
VIDEOGRAPHER: Ricki Rosen
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA, Reuters
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO x
TRT: 2:42
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: FOR PRODUCTION TUESDAY; Web desk, please post camera
credit for Ricki Rosen. Please email edited script to both Linda and Ricki))
((INTRO))
[[While Europe and the United States have welcomed large numbers of Ukrainian
refugees, many of them are in Israel, living in a legal limbo without official refugee
status. Linda Gradstein reports from the Israeli port city of Haifa, where a group is
offering them help.]]
((NARRATOR))
All of the food, clothing and children’s toys at Haifa’s Volunteer Center for Ukrainian
Refugees have been donated by private citizens or Israeli companies.
The Israeli government provides only a few months of financial support for the refugees.
Yulia Momsova and her two young daughters have had to move from one temporary
apartment to another since they arrived a year ago. She relies on help from Israelis,
including Ukrainian immigrants.
((Yulia Momsova, Ukrainian Refugee, Female (in Ukrainian) VOA))
“It’s very difficult, but we get the support of friends and Israeli volunteers. Some of them
came from Ukraine many years ago, some are native Israeli, but they’re all suffering
with us.”
((NARRATOR))
More than half of the 40,000 Ukrainian refugees who came to Israel since the start of
the war have left — either returning to Ukraine or going to Europe, where they are
recognized as refugees.
While anyone with a Jewish parent or grandparent can immediately receive Israeli
citizenship, non-Jewish Ukrainians receive only tourist visas that are renewed monthly.
They are not legally allowed to work, and those under 60 have no health insurance.
Israeli government policy has left the refugees in legal limbo, say social workers from
aid organizations.
[[RADIO VERSION: Zoya Pushnikov is a social worker with HIAS, the Hebrew
Immigrant Aid Society, a group that helps new arrivals from Ukraine.]]
((Zoya Pushnikov, Social Worker - Female (in English), VOA)) ((Zoom))
“Their visa after a whole year of the war is still a tourist visa, which is very unordinary.
Also, it’s hurting them because so many employers don’t even know they can in fact
employ them. So, we see many women and children who are under financial stress and
cannot support themselves in any way.”
(((NARRATOR))
Olga Kartashova, the Haifa Refugee Center coordinator, says the center has 100
volunteers and serves more than 1,500 refugee families. She says the lack of legal
status can lead to exploitation of the refugees.
((Olga Kartashova, Ukrainian Refugee Center Coordinator, Female (in English), VOA))
“Because of the lack of a proper legal system for them here, they are extremely
vulnerable to all kinds of discrimination and sometimes even worse. We do know that
they are forced to work illegally or semi-legally, and the employers often they can use
their situation and refuse to pay them.”
((NARRATOR))
Most of these refugees say they want to go home as soon as the war ends. But as long
as there is no end in sight, they want a more official status that will enable them to legally work and build a life, however temporary, in Israel.
((Linda Gradstein, for VOA News, Haifa))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Haifa, Israel
Embargo DateMarch 21, 2023 15:17 EDT
Byline
((Linda Gradstein, for VOA News, Haifa)
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English